knee-jerk reaction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Defence Secretary John Healey said he believed the prime minister could "still turn this around" while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned against a "knee-jerk reaction" to the results.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

That kind of knee-jerk reaction seems ripe to even out as panic gives way to more measured trading.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

“The initial knee-jerk reaction was one of worry,” Goldberg said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

There is unlikely to be a knee-jerk reaction at Tottenham to Sunday's disappointing loss at Nottingham Forest.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

They didn’t just have a knee-jerk reaction to immediately respond to the text.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel